Album Review

Always down on their luck, always mending a broken heart; Weston have been labeled the punk-rock version of New Kids on the Block. Continuing with this mentality is their third full-length Music From the Soundtrack Matinee, which features a lot of the same happy-go-lucky riffs of their two previous albums. Lots of straightforward, midtempo pop-punk, lots of harmonized backing vocals, but not overdone to the extent of NOFX or Bad Religion. With that combination, Weston pull off some perfect pop songs that make up for the entire first side of this record. But unfortunately, at the same time, a lot of this material is borderline bad alternative rock. Matinee has its moments, with the good outweighing the bad, but it's not as essential as Got Beat Up or A Real Life Story of Teenage Rebellion.

Biography

Formed: 1990

Genre: Rock

Years Active: '90s, '00s

Named after guitarist Dave Weston's parents (for allowing the band to rehearse in their basement), the self-deprecating punk band Weston formed in 1990. Among their recordings: the debut A Real Life Story of Teenage Rebellion, the singles collection Splitsville, 1996's Got Beat Up, and the following year's Matinee. The band continued...